Natural History Museum

Dublin's "Dead Zoo," as it is commonly called, is a treasured component of the city's fabric and brings back wonderful memories of field excursions.
This museum, which is a magnificent relic in and of itself, is a cabinet of oddities where mammals are kept in Victorian cases, a large shark hangs from the ceiling, and enormous Irish deer skeletons arouse awe.
In the tranquil hallways, people seeking refuge from wet days can become lost in the maze of zoological exhibits long after the sun comes out of the clouds.

The Natural History Museum was the oldest purpose-built museums in Ireland and is one of the very few Victorian cabinet style museums left in the world. The museum features one of the world’s finest collections, including 2000 000 species, half of which are insects. Mainly it’s all about Ireland, but there is also material from all over the world. The museum’s highlight are skeletons of Irish Elk with their enormous antlers spanning twice the length of a human. They were named so because of the vast numbers of their skeletons and antlers found in Irish bogs. Long before they became a scientific curiosity, these remains were used as building materials by the natives, as gateposts, and in one case even as a bridge over a stream in County Tyrone. One story says that a bonfire was made of them to celebrate the victory of Dublin’s Duke of wellington at Waterloo in 1815. Further studies have established that the Irish Elk is not related to the species classified as elks, although it did have the distinction of being the largest deer species known to exist. The Irish Elk is thought to have lived from around 400 000 years ago and the Irish remains suggest that it died out here around 11 000 years ago when Ireland was still attached to the continental land mass. Irish Elk is acclaimed as the largest deer to have ever lived.

National Museum of Ireland is very informative, so you and your kids will obviously learn something new, it contains so much of biological and historical interest. National Museum of History is also often called Dublin’s dead museum, where you can explore lots of skeletons, including skeleton of giant Irish deer, the biggest deer ever lived on the planet and a 20 meter long whale skeleton, found in Ireland’s Atlantic coast.

It’s one of the best places to find out about Ireland’s heritage, culture and history, an opportunity to learn and get connected with nature. A place to visit for nature fans, and great thing to do for all family. Take your kids with you because natural history section houses are one of the largest collections of stuffed, pickled or otherwise preserved animals and insects and is always a kid’s winner, and with 10,000 exhibits in the museum, everyone will be impressed. Between the collection- the skeletons of the biggest deer ever lived on the planet and two whales, found in Ireland’s Atlantic coast.

It’s number one of free things to do in Dublin.